FIGS. 1-3 schematically illustrate a known device for cleaning a turfed area.
This device comprises a chassis, not shown, on which are positioned, relative to the working or moving direction of the device, symbolized by the arrow F, a rear roller 1, which may roll on the turfed area, and a front cylindrical brush 2 parallel to the roller, the latter and the cylindrical brush 2 being positioned transverse to the working direction F of the device.
The cylindrical brush 2 is driven by a hydraulic, electric or other motor, not shown, driving the brush in the opposite direction to the rotation of the roller 1. Thus, the cylindrical brush 2 allows collection of debris D present on the turfed area in front of the brush and their projection into a rear recovery or collecting bin 3 secured to the chassis of the device.
Such a device may be hitched to the rear of a tractor-drawn ground working machine, such as a machine for dethatching or coring the ground.
However, this known device has the drawback that the debris left behind the ground working machine is not all projected by the cylindrical brush 2 into the recovery bin 3, and debris escaping from the action of the cylindrical brush 2, reach the rear roller as illustrated in FIG. 2 and accumulate around the roller and form a layer increasing the diameter of the roller 1 all along the forward movement of the device, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
This accumulation of debris around the rear roller 1 perturbs proper picking-up of the debris by the cylindrical brush 2 because the latter has a height adjusted relative to the ground which increases gradually as the diameter of the rear roller 1 increases, a height which may be such that the cylindrical brush no longer acts on the turfed area and can no longer recover the debris for transferring it into the recovery bin 3.
In order to solve this problem, attempts were made to use a scraping tool 4, such as a blade, for cleaning the rear roller 1 during the movement of the device, but such a solution has the drawback that the debris or residue detached from the roller 1 by the scraping tool 4 fall behind the roller thereby leaving residue on the ground.